Bottom line: a China–Kazakhstan container hub at Aktau Port on the eastern Caspian is now running and has worked its first container train. Phase one takes the port’s container capacity to about 140,000 TEU a year; after both phases the published target is about 240,000 TEU. Most of the flow is China transit on the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR / Middle Corridor).
Who built it. According to KTZh and multiple media reports, the partners are Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZh), Aktau International Sea Commercial Port and China’s Lianyungang Port Group. Construction started in November 2024. Phase one delivered a container yard, a customs inspection area and three rail loading tracks on roughly 9–10 hectares; Lianyungang cites about 9.1 hectares and three loading lines.
Timeline. 24.kz says the hub was announced as commissioned in March and moved into full operations in July. The Astana Times, citing Ministry of Trade and Integration materials, puts the first container train on 14 July; PortNews on 16 July relayed KTZh’s statement that the first train had been handled. Lianyungang said the train carried 55 standard containers from Zhejiang — coil steel, light industry goods and electromechanical products — with onward Caspian transfer toward Azerbaijan planned.
Capacity figures that line up across sources. KTZh and Aktau Port management both put phase-one capacity at about 140,000 TEU a year. 24.kz and The Astana Times both state a two-phase target of about 240,000 TEU a year. The port also gave recent throughput context: nearly 70,000 TEU last year and a plan above 90,000 TEU this year. PortNews’s separate “about 200,000 TEU overall” figure conflicts with those two sources, so it is not used here.
Cargo mix, per 24.kz: about 60% China transit, about 25% import, about 15% Kazakhstan export, with destinations including Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Europe. KTZh frames the hub inside a Lianyungang–Khorgos–Aktau–western Caspian chain. The Astana Times also noted an interim tally after the first train: 233 containers, or 444 TEU — a snapshot at the time of the ministry materials.
Rules related to this news
For shippers and forwarders on the Middle Corridor, useful checks are whether booking plans fit the phase-one band near 140,000 TEU, whether the three tracks match train schedules, and whether the feeder and western-shore leg are locked after transfer. Open reporting ties the next stage to around 2027; firm dates still depend on later port and KTZh updates.
This piece does not cover Aktau dredging or a full Middle Corridor survey. Other Caspian terminals backed by only one source are not detailed here.
Sources:
PortNews (citing KTZh), https://portnews.ru/news/print/394243/
24.kz, https://24.kz/ru/news/social/781413-kontejnernyj-khab-v-aktau-usilil-tranzitnyj-potentsial
The Astana Times, https://astanatimes.com/2026/10/kazakhstans-cross-border-hubs-take-shape-as-new-trade-and-logistics-gateways/
Index1520 (Lianyungang position), https://index1520.com/news/kitayskie-i-kazakhstanskie-kompanii-zapustili-novyy-konteynernyy-khab-v-aktau-dlya-razvitiya-transka/
Cover image is an AI-generated schematic, not a photo of the site and not a direct depiction of the news.
Key facts
- The Aktau Port international container hub has commenced operations and completed the loading and unloading of its first container train.
- The hub is jointly built by КТЖ, Aktau International Sea Trade Port and a Chinese joint-venture partner. Construction began in November 2024.
- Phase I included a container yard, a customs inspection area and three railway loading and unloading tracks, covering approximately 9 to 10 hectares.
- After Phase I commenced operations, the port's container capacity reached approximately 140,000 TEU/year; the target after both phases are completed is approximately 240,000 TEU/year.
- The first container train carried 55 containers. The cargo originated in Zhejiang and included coiled steel, light industrial products and electromechanical products.
- КТЖ has positioned this link within the Lianyungang–Khorgos–Aktau–Caspian Sea western shore node network to shorten container trains' dwell time at the port.
FAQ
What is the current status of the Aktau Port international container hub?
The hub is operational and has completed the loading and unloading of its first container train. According to 24.kz, it was announced as operational in March of this year, with full operations beginning in July.
What will the port's container capacity be after Phase I and after both phases are completed?
Representatives of КТЖ and Aktau Port stated that Phase I had increased the port's container capacity to approximately 140,000 TEU/year. The target after both phases are completed is approximately 240,000 TEU/year.
Where does the cargo passing through the hub originate, and where is it headed?
According to 24.kz, approximately 60% of the cargo passing through the hub is transit cargo from China, about one quarter consists of imports, and approximately 15% consists of exports from Kazakhstan. Destination directions include Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Europe.
What was the cargo origin and what types of cargo did the first container train carry?
According to the Port of Lianyungang, the first train carried 55 containers. The cargo originated in Zhejiang and included coiled steel, light industrial products and electromechanical products. It was scheduled to be transshipped at Aktau and then shipped across the Caspian Sea toward Azerbaijan.
When will Phase II begin?
Publicly available information indicates that Phase II is expected to begin around 2027, but the exact schedule remains subject to subsequent updates from the port and КТЖ.